Examples

Implementation of EU Water Framework Directive in Spain, France and Italy

General WFD principles have been practised in these three countries for years, even decades. The Directive itself however imposes a more strict and coherent framework.

Agriculture will undergo the following constraints under the Directive:

• an obligation for dialogue with competing water resource uses with the objective of maintaining a healthy state of resources
• more rigorous management of irrigation particularly regarding ground water usage
• more rational use of fertilisers and pesticides with the objective of maintaining ground and surface water quality
  
• increased financial participation in water management.

• a climate with contrasting seasons gives rise to a very irregular hydrological system for fresh surface water
• a significant proportion of karstic ground water whose characteristics are very different to ground water in porous environments
• agriculture that is highly dependent on irrigation (often the dominant water use); irrigation needs appear during periods when water resources are least abundant
• a large tourist industry that consumes a significant amount of water during periods of low water levels; tourism contributes to water pollution whilst simultaneously increasing demand on high quality water (drinking water, bathing, water sports
• large hydraulic installations (built to harness irregular water supplies in order to satisfy demand) that are themselves prone to strong seasonal variations.

	France
	Italy
	Other examples
	Pilot River Basin Network
	Spain
	UK
	WEST project